Is This Goodbye?
by kttykatt07
Summary: First fic! Jimmy and Cindy haven’t seen each since after high school. It has been four years, and there are still many things left unsaid. When they get a job at the same lab in Retroville, will this drive them apart or give them something better?
1. Intro

A/N: Ok, this is my first story, so please be respectful…I do not take criticism unless it is constructive. In case you were wondering how old they are, I guess about early twenties, after college.

**Is This Goodbye?**

A young woman with long blond hair and striking green eyes was walking…no, running to her new job at the Retroville Center of Chemistry. She was going so fast that she did not see the handsome young man, about her own age, carrying an entire tray of test tubes. She collided with his side, making him drop the tray and cause a huge mess of broken glass all over the floor (luckily there were no chemicals in the test tubes). She also started slipping backwards, but before she could fall on the hard ground, a hand reached behind the small of her back and pulled her up, as an arm reached around her, protectively embracing her for a moment. When those warm, strong arms let her go, she looked at the ground and started stuttering out of embarrassment.

"I-I'm s-sorry, I didn't see you there…I-I'll…" she started, but before she could finish a very familiar voice said "…C-Cindy?"

She looked up at her savior, and gaped open-mouthed at whom fate arbitrarily ruled that she should see again…after four years…

"J-Jimmy!" she half-gasped.

A/N: I know, short paragraph…they won't all be like this.


	2. Happier Times?

A/N: Their senior year so everybody's 18…oh, I guess Sheen is 20. LOL!

WARNING: IF YOU DO NOT LIKE ROMANTIC COMEDIES, THEN DON'T READ THIS STORY!

…_4 years earlier…_

It was a sunny Friday afternoon as Jimmy, Cindy, Libby and Sheen walked out of their last class of the day from Retroville High School. They were graduating in less than a month, and all very excited. As usual, Jimmy and Cindy were having an argument about something insignificant.

"NO! You're wrong, Nerdtron, and I can prove it!" Cindy fiercely stated.

Cindy and Jimmy were at it _again_. Their relationship had evolved over the years to where they had actually become very good friends, and even spent some alone time together (oh-la-la). But, sporadically, they would fight and bicker just like they were both eleven again. While their personalities had not changed much, their appearance had. Jimmy was a few inches taller than Cindy now, and no longer had his signature 'whippy-dip' hairdo. Instead he let it form somewhat of a side curl; and while it still had a lot of 'volume,' it was much more tamed (A/N: think The Tomorrow Boys). Cindy also changed quite a bit. She usually wore her hair down to impress a certain someone at school, and her bangs were tucked behind her left ear to show off her vibrant green eyes. Cindy even let slip on several occasions that she thought that Jimmy looked like a 'stud-muffin,' and Jimmy may have muttered something about Cindy being the most 'breathtaking' girl at Retroville High School. And though they would probably never admit it, they loved everything about one another.

"Oh my…it looks like those two are at it again." Libby stated to her long-term boyfriend.

"Hey! Maybe we should get Ultra Lord to break them up this time?" Sheen joked.

Sheen had changed a lot over the years. As Libby put it, he remained his 'geeky, hyperactive self;' however, his long term Ultra Lord obsession had been tamed to where he didn't don his Ultra Lord clothing, and only watched re-runs of the show whenever they were on, with his girlfriend. But knowing those two, I highly doubt much watching was accomplished…(hehe!)

"Hey, where are they going?" Libby inquired.

"I dunno," Sheen answered. "Probably in a tree somewhere to go smooch. Hey, that actually doesn't sound like such a bad idea, does it?"

"Sheen!" Libby giggled.

The two walked off, hand-in-hand, to Sheen's car to go 'watch the Ultra Lord show' _again._

Cindy and Jimmy agreed to go to the library to determine exactly how many miles away the Sun was from the Earth. So there they were, walking…well, not hand-in-hand towards Jimmy's hovercar (of course he still has it!). Jimmy usually gave Cindy rides after school, seeing as how they were neighbors, and because of the secret attraction he harbored for her. And Cindy enjoyed the rides with Jimmy because of the beautiful view…oh, and not just the one sitting next to her, either!

As they walked along, they teased each other; unaware of the way they were subtly, and innocuously flirting.

"So, Vortex," he teased, "…are you ready to get proven wrong?"

"Oh, I'm ready all right." She stated in the same mocking tone, "Ready for the downfall of your ego, which is almost bigger than that head of yours!" She smiled, lightheartedly.

Jimmy wrapped his arm around her slender waist and leaned down to her ear. "We'll just see about that!" he challenged. Cindy slid her hand up to his shoulder, and rested her head on the other one. If anyone saw them, they would have looked like a happy couple, which is why they were often mistook for being boyfriend and girlfriend.

They stopped at his hovercar, and faced each other. Jimmy's hand still on her hip, Cindy traced her other hand up to his shoulder, and somehow, his other hand had found its way around her waist. They looked into each other's eyes for a few seconds, smiling, giddily, in a way that read: 'pure bliss,' until they both realized what they were doing and let go of each other, blushing and laughing nervously.

A few awkward moments later, and they walked out of the Retroville Library.

"Wow," Jimmy stated. "I guess we were both wrong."

"Yeah," Cindy agreed. She looked down at her hand, and realized that it was in Jimmy's, their fingers intertwined. She loved the feel of his warm and soft hands on her own, and longed to spend more time with him before they took their separate ways for college.

"Uhh…Cindy?" Jimmy asked, with a slight blush creeping up his cheeks. "Yeah?" She answered.

"You wouldn't want to, oh…I don't know…hang out with me in the Lab today…would you?" he inquired with a grin. "Hang out in that boring old lab…" she retorted. A little too harshly, I might add, because Jimmy's smile faltered. Cindy squeezed his hand, and he looked at her smiling face. She added, "I can't imagine anything I'd rather do today!"

He returned her smile as they walked hand-in-hand toward his hovercar.

A/N: I'm sorry; I really suck at descriptions of people…R&R! I know that my story doesn't have a plot, but I'll try making one…lol.


	3. The Ceremony Date

Disclaimer: I don't own Jimmy Neutron, and other affiliated characters.

A/N: This is my attempt at a story…if you don't like it, then don't read it.

…_Graduation Day…_

Today was the day! The day they had all been eagerly awaiting! The last chance 'friends' would have to tell each other something they have been keeping secret since the fifth grade (you all know who I'm speaking of).

**Cindy's House**

Cindy was befuddled, bewildered and bemused (A/N: I like B words!). Today was the last chance she would ever get to tell the young genius, James Isaac Neutron, that she had loved him ever since fifth grade. Sure, they got along now, and didn't fight nearly as much as they had as kids, but still…that is way too long to keep a secret like that held in. And everyone in Retroville was already aware that she had something other than friendliness in her eyes whenever she looked at him…oh yeah, except him.

"Okay," Cindy coaxed herself. "Just relax…. I mean, it's only Neutron. And if he rejects me, at least I won't have to ever see him again. I just have to tell him that I l-l…" she paused. _Oh no! If I can't even say it to myself when he's not around, how will I say it in front of him? _she pondered. Just then, she heard a knock at her door.

"Cynthia, darling, are you almost ready? We don't want to be late to your graduation ceremony!" her mom hassled. "Okay mom!" she responded, trying to contain the butterflies in her stomach, and stop her hands from shaking. She had never been more nervous in her life.

**Jimmy's Lab**

He had never been more nervous in his life! Today he not only had to give a speech (after all, he was valedictorian), but he also had to tell a girl with miraculous green eyes that he had fallen in love with her a _long _time ago. She was beautiful, smart, clever, his intellectual equal, affable (when she wanted to be), loquacious, obstinate and strong-willed. While he was aware that mostly everyone in town knew about his huge crush on her and Libby had reassured him that Cindy would reciprocate his emotions toward her, he still could not accept nor believe it. They were simply enemies become friends…but, could they turn into something more?

"Okay," Jimmy started. "I just have to tell Cindy that I l-lo…"

"Tell Cindy what?" Sheen asked. Jimmy turned around, shocked…_whew, that was a close one! Hey…_

"Sheen, Carl…how'd you guys get in my Lab?" Jimmy inquired, clearly irked at their timing.

"Remember that bag of hair Carl had a few years ago?" Sheen began. "Well, he threw it away, so we took one from your hairbrush. Dude, don't you ever answer the door? We were knocking for a whole three minutes!" Sheen said, clearly getting worked up over the issue, like it was a big deal.

Jimmy rolled his eyes and said, "Sheen, relax. So, why did you guys come down here?"

"We just wanted to make sure that you didn't forget about the graduation ceremony." Sheen stated. Then he got a look in his eyes as if he just remembered something. "Hey, what were you saying about Cindy a second ago?" Sheen asked with a knowing smile. And if he _had_ eyebrows, they would be raised.

"Uhh….umm…no-nothing i-important!" Jimmy stuttered, fearful that if Sheen found out what he was going to tell Cindy, he would accidentally blurt it out in front of her. "Relax, Jim." Carl spoke up "We already know…your secret's safe with us!" Carl winked. But before Jimmy could reply, his mom knocked on the door.

"Boys! You'd better hurry up. The ceremony starts in an hour." she called. "Okay, mom!" Jimmy said, a little too relieved. _Saved by the bell! _he thought. "C'mon, you guys heard her. Let's get a move on." Sheen and Carl just looked at each other, and rolled their eyes.

…_later, after the ceremony…_

Cindy was in her room getting ready for the end of the year party being thrown at her best friend Libby's house. She wanted to look perfect for a certain young genius who was going to be there. Her hair was down, as it usually was, and she wore a beautiful dark green dress that matched her eyes perfectly. _If this doesn't get Neutron's attention, I don't know what will. _

She knew that Jimmy was leaving tomorrow for New York. Apparently his inventions and catastrophic news-breaking stories had attracted the attention of Science Industries throughout the United States. Life would be near unbearable without him; however, the most heartbreaking part of it all was that he didn't know how she truly felt about him. But that was all going to change tonight, wasn't it?

Cindy let out a deep sigh as she looked at herself one last time in the mirror. The butterflies of nervousness in her stomach were still flapping their wings as she took a deep breath, and headed down the stairs.

"Bye mom! I'm going to Libby's party." Cindy called to her mom.

"All right, just make sure you're back by twelve." her mother replied.

Cindy opened the door, and let the cool, slightly chilly evening air wash over her skin. She figured that she would walk to Libby's party because they lived within walking distance. Just then, she heard a very familiar voice call her name…

"Hey, Cindy!" Jimmy said from across the street. She waved as he looked both ways and walked over to her side of the street. She noted the look of amazement and admiration on his face at her appearance, and she couldn't help the slight blush and heat emitting from her cheeks upon seeing Jimmy check her out. She also saw that his appearance was different, too. His hair was slicked back, and he wore nice black pants with a jacket that contrasted with his casual blue shirt underneath; his atom insignia, of course, in the center.

"W-wow, Cindy. You look umm…" he stammered. "Amazing?" she finished for him. He just nodded his head. "Well, you don't look so bad yourself." she said, with a slightly teasing tone in her voice. Jimmy just smirked. "Oh, was that an insult?" he questioned as he grabbed her hand and they started walking. "Maybe…" she said, _and maybe it means you're the most 'amazing' guy I've ever met, _she thought.

A/N: I'm pleased with the length of this chapter, but if you think it ended too abruptly just let me know. Oh, and do you think I should talk about the ceremony? I thought that itwould disrupt the 'flow' of things. R&R my peeps!


	4. Is this Goodbye?

A/N: I don't own Jimmy Neutron….don't sue me! Yay! I finally decided to update! And sorry if this chapter's bad, cause I'm sick, and it's kind of dramatic. Just don't flame me!

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…_party time…_

Jimmy and Cindy walked up the stairs to Libby's house and knocked on her door; both eagerly awaiting the moment that they had planned to tell the other how they felt, and saddened by the fact that it was the last time they would see each other.

Sheen opened the door, took one look at their hands and shouted, "Hey! It's the old married couple!" Jimmy and Cindy suddenly realized that they had been holding hands, baffled by how they did not notice and by how natural it had been. They quickly let go, and Cindy elbowed Sheen in the ribs.

"Ouch!" Sheen exclaimed, as his girlfriend popped up behind him. "See, babe?" Sheen recovered, "It takes a real man to…uh…er…Hey look! Ultralord's on!" he said as he ran off. "Sheen!" Libby playfully called, "Wait for me!"

"Some things never change!" Jimmy and Cindy said at the same time, while breaking out in laughter.

Realizing that they had been ditched by Sheen and Libby, and that everyone around them was dancing with their dates, Jimmy figured he should put his plan into motion. Jimmy gathered up all the courage he could muster, turned to Cindy and said, "So…um…would you like to…uh…d-dance?" _please say yes…please say yes…please say yes…_

Cindy was taken aback a little at how flustered Jimmy seemed, and blushed at the thought that it might be because of her. _No, he can't actually like me! He's probably just not used to me looking this way. I mean, the dress! It must be the dress…he can't…actually…love me?_

Jimmy could tell that Cindy's thoughts were racing, which made his thoughts race as well. _Oh great, she probably just doesn't want to hurt my feelings by saying no. Why did I ever think she could actually reciprocate my feelings for her? If I'm such a genius, then why do I love her? I'll never even see her again until…_

"Jimmy," Cindy finally responded, interrupting Jimmy in mid-thought, "You…you can't!" Jimmy stepped back, confused. "I can't what, Cindy? Ask you to dance?" Jimmy replied. "No! That isn't it at all!" Cindy said while wiping a tear away from her eye. Jimmy lifted her chin up so he could look into her eyes, but she pushed his arm away, ran out of the door, and towards her house. After blinking in astonishment a few times, Jimmy ran out of the door after her.

_Was she…did I just see Cindy cry?_ Jimmy thought as he called out after her.

Cindy heard Jimmy calling her name, and she slowed down in front of her house as more tears flowed down her cheeks. Jimmy easily caught up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. Then he turned her around to face him, her tears and reddened eyes becoming clearer in the moonlight. Jimmy didn't know why Cindy was acting so irrational, but he didn't want to leave without her knowing how he felt. But before he could do anything, Cindy threw herself into his embrace and sobbed on his chest. Jimmy had never seen Cindy look so vulnerable. He just held her in his arms until she spoke.

"Jimmy, I-I'm going to miss you." Cindy said, still slightly sobbing. "I'm going to miss you too, Cindy." Jimmy replied, "Is that why you are so upset?"

Cindy lifted her head up off of his chest and looked into his beautiful blue eyes, and he looked back into her emerald green ones as they held onto each other. She didn't want to hear him reject her; she just wanted Jimmy to know how much she loved him, and how it made her heart break just to think about him leaving her.

"Cindy. I lo-" Jimmy started, but before he could finish saying those three little words, Cindy's lips were on his, and her arms were holding onto him for dear life. Jimmy wrapped his arms tighter around her waist and pressed her against him, but not too eager to get caught in the moment, Cindy broke the kiss. Then she leaned up to his ear and whispered the three words right out of Jimmy's mouth. She left him on the street, asking himself…_is this goodbye?_

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A/N: So this chapter was ok, I thought…opinions? 


	5. Options

**A/N:** Chapter 5! W00t! Thanks so much for your wondeful reviews...I'm sure that I don't deserve them.

Disclaimer: I do own Jimmy, but today is opposite day!

…_Jimmy's House…_

Jimmy currently paced back and forth in the small space his room allotted with numerous thoughts on his mind, mainly about Cindy. Tonight his rival, whom he enjoys spending time with even more than Sheen and Carl, had revealed her love for him both verbally and physically. Bereft of any way to let Cindy know how he felt about her (she hadn't answered her phone or come to the door, and Jimmy decided throwing a brick through her window was less than ideal), Jimmy continued pacing and voicing his thoughts to his always-loyal companion, Goddard. (A/N: Yes, I can spell his name correctly)

"I just don't get it, Goddard!" Jimmy exclaimed. "The one time I don't want her to leave me alone, she won't even speak to me!"

"Arrr…rrruufff, rruufff!" Goddard responded. "I know boy," Jimmy replied "but avoiding me entirely until I leave won't make her feel any better, will it? Especially without knowing that I love her back."

"Harruuufff!" Goddard exclaimed. Jimmy chuckled, "That's right Goddard! Even with my genius they are hard to understand!" Goddard jumped up into his arms, licking him for attention, as Jimmy continued to pet and play with him. This was the first time after Cindy deserted him on the street that he had expressed an emotion other than sadness and remorse.

Jimmy finally put Goddard down and they continued their conversation. "The worst part about it is that I'm a genius, but don't have the legal means to invent a way to see her." Unfortunately, Jimmy was banned from using his wormhole generator after his father sent the entire town into the prehistoric era. (A/N: thanks, Acosta! I never would have thought of that!)

"Well," Jimmy continued, "I still can't leave without letting her know how I feel. I mean, she didn't even give me a chance to react to her kiss, let alone tell her that I feel the same way!" Jimmy paused, "Goddard. Options!"

Goddards screen popped open revealing the words:

GO TO NEW YORK, AND NEVER LOOK BACK 

"Goddard! I need an option that will actually result in her knowing how I feel!"

THROW A BRICK THROUGH HER WINDOW 

"I thought we already eliminated that option."

SLIP A LETTER THROUGH HER WINDOW 

"Goddard, that's it! Why didn't I think of that? Well, I guess I'd better get started." Jimmy said, happy that she would at least finally know how much she meant to him.

_Dear Cindy,…_he began.

**A/N:** This isn't the end of chapter 5, because I want to add Cindy's reaction to the night's events. I just wanted some opinions before I carry on with Cindy. Also, I'm having some writers' block, and it's wicked late. Consider this a sneak peek at ch5!

_**Feel free to critique!**_


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